There are many reasons why this town of only 2,300 people about 20 minutes south of Montgomery is what Alabama Cycling Camp co-owner Aldo Sfalcin calls a cycling mecca.

Before he can answer, several campers, most of whom are competitive, out-of-state cyclists, interrupt him.

"The roads," one person says.

"There's no traffic," another camper adds, in disbelief.

Sfalcin nods in agreement. He has found the perfect place to manage the camp with his wife, Renee Schroeder. They run one-week sessions over a span of 8 to 10 weeks. The camp is in its ninth year.

Each week averages about 10 riders split into two riding groups and costs $800. The typical day includes a four- to five-hour bike ride in the morning that averages 60 miles and an afternoon of swapping ideas, tips and stories.

The goal is to provide riders a base of miles heading into early competitions. Most campers come from northern states and Canada, where the weather makes it difficult to cycle. They are provided with everything, so they can concentrate on training.

Sfalcin started a camp similar to this in South Carolina, but young riders would race each other through mountains before they were ready for the intensity. He saw too many campers leave with injured knees.

In a search for flat land, friends suggested Georgia and Alabama. He and his wife spent a few weeks exploring both states when Schroeder traveled to New Orleans for a conference.

They thought Georgia was too hilly and southern Alabama wasn't appealing. Workers at a bike shop in Montgomery suggested just south. Sfalcin and Schroeder biked from Snowden to Ramer on Highway 61.

"I thought, holy -- this is crazy," he said. "We rode all that distance and no cars passed us. It was unbelievable. It's beautiful. The roads are mostly smooth and there's no traffic."

They were sold. Sfalcin and Schroeder knocked on doors in Ramer, looking for a place to rent, and found an elderly couple moving out. About a month later, in late 2002, they bought the house over the phone.

It was a horrible decision. The roof, siding, septic tank, windows and doors needed replacing, and they had to add another bedroom.

Alabama Cycling Camp opened in 2003. National team cyclists comprised the original clientele, but Sfalcin and Schroeder allowed recreational riders the next year. The current campers ride in tours or triathlons.

There were a few mishaps in the early years, one being a week they overbooked the camp. That required renting the house across the street at the last minute.

"They had no rules there," Sfalcin said. "They had wine for dinner, having a (heck) of a good time drinking on the porch."

Finding routes has not been a problem. He bought maps that covered three counties in central Alabama and taped them to the wall next to the front door. Each black-and-white road is perfect for biking, he learned.

Sfalcin doesn't cycle much with his campers because of arthritis in both knees, but he still has plenty of information to share. Sfalcin began racing at 13 and became a coach at 35. He trained under Mike Walden, who was elected to the United State Bicycling Hall of Fame in 1990.

Sfalcin's suggestions range from how to pedal when your feet slip out of the clasps in a sprint to how small riders can more effectively draft on hills.

He hopes soon to join his campers more often. Sfalcin is scheduled to have both knees replaced in the next two months. The operation could allow him to compete in the race he plans to start in the area.

A few more people will learn about Ramer then.

"It's a lucky spot," Sfalcin said. "I thought other clubs would discover it. They all go to South Carolina because they're familiar with it. Eventually, this will be discovered."